The proper temperature at which to scald a chicken (and other matters).

My photo-chronicle of the Great Chicken Plucking seems to have raised a burning question in dozens of minds: what is the proper temperature at which to scald a chicken?

The answer, according to my mother (seen scalding a chicken below, with the help of our neighbor from across the road), is 140-145 degrees (F). Less than that, and the feathers don’t come off. More, and you end up pre-cooking some of the chicken.

Over in that alternate universe (the one where I write books), my editor has decided that all of the time line designs currently on the table are confusing. So we’re redoing all the time lines vertically.

Which means I get to retype them all. Hurrah.

Meanwhile I’m trying to finish off the outline for Book Two. Will post more as soon as it gets finished…

Okay, the timelines may have been visually confusing but vertical timelines??? No, no, no. Especially if it means you get to retype everything. Just hire different graphic designers. Everyone knows that timelines are horizontal! The ones going around the top of the walls in our breakfast room are horizontal. The ones in my oldest son’s notebook is horizontal. If you want to buy one they are all horizontal. Wall Chart History of the World (or whatever it is) is horizontal. Websites by homeschool moms tell you how to do them and they are all HORIZONTAL. Sorry for shouting but now I feel better. Your editor probably doesn’t understand this because he’s not a homeschool mom. Now, if you are in agreement with him, I take everything back and agree with you.

Stumbled on your blog today and it appears we’re doing the same thing about the same time. Only we skinned our chickens with the feathers intact, which was so much quicker and easier than the plucking we’ve done in the past. I don’t think we’ll miss all that skin anyway.

I think a turkey fryer would work excellently to keep your water hot. We use them here on the Gulf Coast for shrimp boils as well as turkey frying, so I know they can heat up water!